8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

1/19

PISMP Semester 7TSL3113 Action

Research IWeek 1:

Introduction to researchmethods in education

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

2/19

This session will cover

•  The aims of educational research

•  The characteristics of educationalresearch

• Approaches in educational research – The positivist approach (quantitative)

 – The interpretive approach (qualitative)

• Ethics of educational research – The important aspects of research ethics

 – Ethical codes

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

3/19

what is educationalresearch!

Educational research is a eld of inquiry aimed at:

• advancing knowledge of education

• exploring the learning processes for improvement

• developing of tools and methods to deal withlearning prolems

Education researchers aim to descrie! understand!

and explain:• how learning takes place throughout the life cycle

• how formal and informal processes of educationa"ect learning! attainment! and the capacity tolead productive lives

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

4/19

what is educational research!"contd#$

#reswell ($%%&) views educational research

• as a cyclical process of steps that typically eginswith identifying a research prolem or issue of study

• that involves

 – reviewing the literature

 – specifying a purpose for the study

 – collecting and analy'ing data

 – forming an interpretation of information

 This process nishes in a report! disseminated toaudiences! that is evaluated and used in theeducational community

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

5/19

The aims o% educationalresearch

•  The unifying purpose for educationalresearch is to uild cumulative andsound knowledge aout human and

social process of fundamentalsignicance to individuals! to groups!and to the larger society

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

6/19

The aims o% educationalresearch "contd#$

• mprove practice

• Add to knowledge

• Address gaps in knowledge• Expand knowledge

• *eplicate knowledge

• Add voices of individuals toknowledge

(#reswell! $%%$)

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

7/19

The characteristics o%educational research

+ *esearch egins with a question in the mind ofthe researcher

$ *esearch requires a plan

- *esearch demands a clear statement of theprolem

. *esearch deals with the main prolem throughsu/prolems

& *esearch seeks direction through appropriatehypotheses

0 *esearch deals with facts and their

meaning

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

8/19

The characteristics o%educational research "contd#$

n his ook entitled Fundamentals of Educational Research!1ary Anderson has outlined ten characteristics that can eused to further understand what the eld of educationalresearch entails:

+ Educational research attempts to solve a prolem

$ *esearch involves gathering new data from primary or rst/hand sources or using existing data for a new purpose

- *esearch is ased upon oservale experience or empiricalevidence

. *esearch demands accurate oservation and description& *esearch generally employs carefully designed procedures

and rigorous analysis

0 *esearch emphasi'es the development of generali'ations!principles or theories that will help in understanding!

prediction and2or control

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

9/19

#ontd

3 *esearch requires expertise4familiarity withthe eld5 competence in methodology5 technicalskill in collecting and analy'ing the data

6 *esearch attempts to nd an o7ective!uniased solution to the prolem and takes greatpains to validate the procedures employed

8 *esearch is a delierate and unhurried activitywhich is directional ut often renes the prolemor questions as the research progresses

+% *esearch is carefully recorded and reported toother persons interested in the prolem

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

10/19

A&&roaches in educationalresearch

9our ma7or approaches:

• ositivist

• nterpretive• ragmatic

• Advocacy2participatory

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

11/19

the &ositivist a&&roach"'uantitative$

• Aim – Explanation! control

• ;nowledge

 –

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

12/19

the inter&retive a&&roach"'ualitative$

• Aim – >nderstanding

• ;nowledge

 – ?u7ective! contextualised! valuedependent

• *esearcher

 – ndependent participant This approach is suitale to e used to develop the understanding required for evaluating if a variale is relevant or not to a givenprolem situation #ompared to the perspective on positivistapproach as counting! this approach can e seen as proposing

which variables to count 

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

13/19

(thics o% educationalresearch

• n writing up a study of three nurseries!the researcher realises that his analysis islikely to e interpreted y parents and the

local media as suggesting that one ofthese nurseries does not meet currentinspection standards Should he&roceed to &u)lish the *ndin+s!

 ,our o&inion &lease---

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

14/19

EducationalResearch Ethics

Ethics is defined asthe principles and

guidelines that help

us to uphold thethings we value

 Approaches Areas ofConcern

EthicalPrinciples

the im&ortant as&ects o%research ethics

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

15/19

the im&ortant as&ects o%research ethics

Approaches

@eontological

?ays ethicalissues must e

 7udged onasis of

universal code

Ethical?kepticism

?ays concreteand inviolatemoral codescannot eformulated

>tilitarianism

@o enetsoutweigh

risks

 This approachis used y *B

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

16/19

Area of#oncern

?ocietyand

?cience

rofessional ssues

9raudulentActivity

artial and@uplicate

ulication

 Treatmentof

articipants

the im&ortant as&ects o%research ethics

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

17/19

EthicalPrinciples

MinimisingHarm

Respecting Autonomy 

ProtectingPrivacy 

OfferingReciprocity 

TreatingPeopleEquitably 

the im&ortant as&ects o%research ethics

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

18/19

ethical codes

• rofessional #ompetence

• ntegrity

• rofessional! ?cientic! and ?cholarly*esponsiility

• *espect for eopleCs *ights! @ignity!and @iversity

• ?ocial *esponsiility

8/9/2019 Topic 1_Overview and Introduction

19/19

Tutorial tasks

Dork in groups of not more than four *ead thehandout Plants drink water and eat fertilizer.#omplete the following tasks:

 Task +:

s AliciaCs attempts to solve the teaching/learningprolem in - awar an educational researchdentify the relevant characteristics

 Task $:

Explain and 7ustify the approach Alicia has employed

 Task -:

Dhat are some of the ethical issues that Alicia shouldconsider in planning her research